First Timing, then Power

Have a look at anyone who is good at what they do in a sporting sense. The first thing that certainly comes to my mind is how effortless they look whilst generating, seemingly disproportionately large amounts of power. This ‘effortless power’ can be observed when an expert performs some of the following skills:

• A goalkeeper kicking the ball off the grass 50+ metres.
• A tennis player serving.
• A golfer hitting an iron (these days I feel that they look like they’re smashing the ball when they hit a wood or driver).
• A cricketer hitting a cover drive.

When these tasks are performed (and dozens of other skills), the relationship between power and timing is a very different one compared to your average junior player’s approach (especially boys!).

High on the priority list of your average junior players is to swing as hard and fast as is possible with little regard for the quality of contact. What must be understood is that genuine power cannot be achieved without great timing being in place first.

Try this tennis analogy as a means of explaining the importance of timing.

If you strike the ball in the imaginary 10 cm diameter circle in the slightly upper middle section of the strings you will achieve  power that I would rate a 9/10. However, if you hit the strings outside of the ‘sweet spot’ that rating plummets to 2-4/10 depending on how far off the sweet spot you make contact.

In addition, control is exponentially lost for every centimeter off the sweet spot that you make contact. Bad timing is therefore a two edged sword.

With these ‘power ratings’ in mind, here’s the question to ask your students: ‘Are you better off swinging fast and getting a 2-4/10 power score or swinging at a slow to moderate pace and get a 9/10 power score with the added bonus of control thrown in?’ Hopefully their response indicates an understanding of the topic.

To compensate for poor timing, most people swing faster. What they should be doing is slowing their swing down and trying to achieve regular, very good timing. The easy way to gauge this is when the task is performed and the ball feels as if it has barely hit the bat, racquet, foot etc.

When consistent, good timing is being achieved at a slow pace, it is then that a moderate amount of power can be added. If this causes timing to break down again then ratchet down the power.

First Timing, then Power!! – Teach to your kids (good luck with the teenage boys or adult males new to the sport!), practice the same approach with your own sport, marvel at the improvement. Best of luck!

A Quick Game for All Ages – Ball On Racquet Tag

Most schools seem to have some tennis racquets (even if they are old, beaten up relics) floating around the PE store-room. Here’s a great excuse to dust them off and get them in the kids hands.

Ball On Racquet Tag

1. Mark out a space approximately the size of half a tennis court.
2. Give out 1 racquet per child, or one racquet to be shared amongst up to 4 players.
3. Each player (or team) needs a ball.
4. Players must stand inside the marked area with the ball on the racquet (if the kids are older then they should balance the ball on the strings. The younger folk can place the ball in the ‘V’ on the racquet that exists between the head and the racquet handle.
5. When you say so the kids begin to walk around the marked area and while keeping the ball balanced on their racquet try to knock the ball of other people’s racquets.
6. a) The last person with a ball on their racquet wins or b) If playing in teams when player one has the ball knocked off they are replaced by player 2 (a tag team event). The last team with a player still in wins.

NB: Players are not to use their hands or their body to hold the ball on the strings.

Variations

 As you know by now, we love games that can be used for multiple sports. Try the same basic ‘Ball on Racquet Tag’ principle for the following sports.

1. Basketball – Players dribble a ball and must attempt to knock another players ball out of a medium sized marked area (players are not allowed to stop dribbling).
2. Soccer – Players dribble a ball but try to kick opposition balls out of a marked square (no stopping on holding the ball under the foot is allowed).
3. If you don’t have enough or any racquets, they can balance the ball on the back of their hand (not easy – for littlies, use a beanbag).

This is one of those goodies to get everyone started or to finish with as a reward. Add your own twist and enjoy!!

What’s good for them is good for you…

‘Do what we say and not what we do’ – a common theme preached by teachers. How about we DO it as well (or at least part of it).

Are you interested in getting a little fitter, stronger, more flexible or agile?

A great warmup, strength, balance or stretching activity at the start of a PE lesson will not only help get your class in better shape, but can also assist YOU in developing the great habit of doing a little more exercise.

Try ‘SBF” for a good warmup – Strength, Balance and Flexibility. Keep it reasonably short (under 10 minutes) and keep it regular so you and the kids form habits and see progress.

There’s a million combinations you can use (if you’re stuck for ideas, let us know and we’ll give you a hand). Here’s one to start:

Flexibility: ‘One in, one out stretch’

1. Whilst sitting down, bend one leg (e.g. left leg) in towards your groin and stretch the other out away from the body.
2. Attempt to touch your toes with your right hand (or just point your fingers towards your toes).
3. Hold for 7-10 seconds.
4. Swap legs.
5. Remember, stretches shouldn’t hurt. Slight discomfort is the worst it should feel and make sure you don’t bounce.

Strengthening: ‘Boat’

1. Lie on your back.
2. Bend the left knee and put the left foot flat on the ground.
3. Whilst holding it straight, lift the right leg approximately 30cms off the ground.
4. Using the stomach (not the neck), lift your torso up and point at the lifted foot.
5. Hold for 5 seconds or a couple of natural breaths.
6. Swap feet.
7. If manageable, have both feet up and both arms pointing.
8. Feel the burn.

Balance: ‘Tightrope’

1. Find a line or imagine one on the ground and put one foot in front and one behind, both pointing in the same direction.
2. Put your hands together and extend them in front of the body parallel to the ground.
3. Leaning forward, attempt to lift the back foot off the ground and hold a balance.
4. If this is too hard, try to lift the back heel off the ground leaving just the back toe as a balance point.
5. Progression: Try to create a ‘T’ shape with hands out in front, the leg on the ground and back leg extending out behind you parallel to the ground.
6. Hold for x seconds and swap feet.

Kids love seeing you doing the drills, getting in there and showing that you’re not there just to give them orders. So as well as motivation for the students, a little routine a few times a week and you’ll be seeing improvement in your fitness as well.

Enjoy!

Bench Ball – Anyone got a better name?

Some of these games really need a makeover when it comes to their names. After reading this, let us know your suggestions for a better, more engaging name for this great twist on netball.

Popular in PE Classes throughout the UK, Bench Ball is essentially netball with a more achievable goal scoring element. It harks back to our ‘Meet Your Targets’ blog that you can read here: https://teachersinsport.wordpress.com/2011/07/20/meet-your-targets/

It discusses the idea that for the sake of their own self esteem and continued improvement, children should be set targets that can be achieved approximately every 1 in 6 attempts. With a 10 foot goal, netball does not allow for this ratio to be achieved in the average PE class right up to around the age of 14 (that’s an educated guess).

As we’ve also said before netball is a great game and so with that in mind we bring you Bench Ball.

Not quite…

• The main difference is that instead of a goal you have 2,3 or 4 ‘goalkeepers’ that stand behind the baseline. True to the name of the game this is usually whilst perched on a ‘bench’ (balance beam).

NB: Keep in mind that this could be a bit of an OH&S nightmare. Why not replace the idea of a bench with a hoop that the goalkeeper must remain inside? Much safer!

• Inside the court the game is played just as netball is – No contact, No stepping, No throwing the ball more than a third of the court.
• Unlike ‘Netball’ there is no great need for positions (although you can use them as in the image below).
• The object of the game is to get the ball to one of the goalkeepers who are waiting behind the line (on the bench or in their hoop).
• When a goal is scored, play returns to the middle and the team that was just scored against gets the ball.

This is more like it…

Typically, in a 15 minute game you should see scores upwards of 5 regardless of ability level. When youngens play netball with a 10 foot hoop, one would be lucky to witness 1 or 2 nil.

Enjoy, share with your teaching colleagues and as ever, if you have any questions or comments, please get in touch!